


Ever Since We Met

by ariesbranjie



Series: Ever Since We Met [1]
Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: F/F, Lesbian AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-04-07 04:34:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19077586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariesbranjie/pseuds/ariesbranjie
Summary: Brooke Lynn is a perfectionist relying on routine and precision. Vanessa starts working at the café down the street and Brooke Lynn is forever changed. A disruption in her routine."Brooke looked up again at the sound of an unfamiliar, loud voice only to meet a face equally as confused as her own.”Sorry, I thought you were Yvie or A’keria, uhm, they all know my usual order.”, she found explaining herself particularly hard when the other woman’s dark eyes looked at her without blinking, a smile appearing on her full lips.”And what would your usual order be? I ain’t no mind reader, baby.”, the woman grinned, tapping her pencil against the paper in her hand.Brooke’s jaw dropped at the last word. She was still looking at the woman and she was pretty sure she had never seen someone that beautiful in her whole fucking life."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am living for lesbian Brooke Lynn and Vanessa and this is chapter one of the story I came up with.

_Chapter One_

Brooke Lynn was a person of routine and precision. She was a perfectionist. She was organized and put together. She knew her schedule from the back of her head and could probably tell you exactly what she would be doing 5 months from now on the spot. That being said, Brooke’s days pretty much looked the same every day. She would wake up at six thirty, feed the cats not five minutes later, she would take a shower for fifteen minutes, go to work and then come home again. Some weekends she would join her friends and go out, meeting new people, getting to know someone just for the night, breaking her everyday routine just a little, then get back to reality. She liked the control though, liked always knowing what her next move would be. She was a perfectionist.

It was a regular Tuesday and Brooke made her way to her usual Tuesday lunch spot, alone this day since Nina stood her up.  
”I have to finish these papers honey, but you go by yourself and enjoy some Brooke Lynn alone time.”, she had told her.  
Brooke wasn’t mad about it though, she really did enjoy her alone time. She had no problem doing things by herself. So she did as her friend told her and walked into on the small café just down the street from her office. She came in around twelve every Tuesday and was always greeted by the same loud voice and huge smile.  
”Brooke Lynn! Time for some lunch?”, Silky, the owner of the café, shouted to her from across the room.  
”You know it, Silky.”, she sat down by the table, phone in her hand to text Nina as she waited for one of the usual girls to come and take her order, all of them already knowing her favorite picks from the menu.  
The café really was nothing special. It was a small space, the decor was old and mismatched. If someone just walked by the place on the street and looked inside they would probably not bother to go in. But the food was homemade, always served in huge portions. Silky made everyone feel welcome, treating everyone like she had known them for years. And on top of that, they always gave Brooke discounts, refills, extra sides or toppings to her meal for free. So Brooke had always enjoyed it. This actually might have been Brooke’s favorite lunch spot after all, she realized.

She heard footsteps towards her table but didn’t bring her eyes up from her phone just yet as she finished writing her text to Nina.  
”Hi. I think I’ll have my regular salad today, and just my usual extra toppings, and the same coffee as always, please.”, Brooke said while putting her phone back in her pocket, still not looking up at the waitress, but expecting it to be either A’keria or Yvie, the ones that usually took her order and always stayed a little longer to chat with her.  
But Brooke was wrong.  
”What now?”  
Brooke looked up at the sound of an unfamiliar, loud voice sounding like it belonged to a Disney sidekick, and met a face equally as confused as her own.  
”Sorry, I thought you were Yvie or A’keria, uhm, they all know my usual order.”, she found explaining herself particularly hard when the other woman’s dark eyes looked at her without blinking, a smile appearing on her full lips.  
”And what would your usual order be? I ain’t no mind reader, baby.”, the woman grinned, tapping her pencil against the paper in her hand.  
Brooke’s jaw dropped at the last word. She was still looking at the woman and she was pretty sure she had never seen someone that beautiful in her whole fucking life. Her short figure was covered in a yellow dress with a white apron reaching down to her knees. It was the same dress that all of the people working at the café wore, it just seemed to suit this woman a lot better than anyone else, Brooke thought. Her dark hair was hanging in curls against her small back frame. A huge tattoo of a sphynx cat covered a bit of her chest and the dimple in her chin seemed to grow deeper by the second.  
Brooke realized she was staring.  
”Sorry, a number five salad with extra olives and cashews, and a coffee with milk.”, Brooke quickly looked down again but didn’t miss the amused smile growing bigger on the woman’s face as she wrote the order down.  
”Sorry, and also a water, please."  
”Shit, you Canadian or something? You said sorry three times in like thirty seconds girl!”, the brunette laughed and Brooke looked up again.  
To her own surprise, she couldn’t get a word out. She was usually the most confident person in the room, untouchable, always having a smart comeback. But the sight of those two piercing eyes somehow made her soft.  
And unable to speak, apparently.  
She was relieved when she heard Silky’s loud voice from across the room before Brooke could answer.  
”Vanjie! Leave our favorite Canadian customer alone!”, she yelled.  
The woman, Vanjie, Brooke guessed, left with a wink and laughed.

Brooke Lynn couldn’t finish her regular Tuesday meal that day. A disruption in her routine.

”Take care Mami.”, the woman had told her right before she left and it made Brooke’s mind spin so much to the point where she almost got ran over by a car as she crossed the street, being too distracted to pay attention to the traffic. What was going on with her today?

Brooke made sure everything went smoothly and according to her schedule for the rest of the day, although she did find herself distracted. She wasn’t able to focus and every task seemed to require a little more time than usual. And Nina seemed to notice all of it, but didn’t mention anything.

Friday came around quickly after that and Brooke found herself sitting at her desk at work as usual, impatiently staring at the clock.  
”Okay, what’s the matter?”  
Brooke turned her head around at the sound of Nina’s voice.  
”Hm?”, Brooke answered half heartedly.  
”You’ve been extra in your head these last three days, you seem distracted, I guess. Did something happen?”  
Brooke loved Nina and how concerned she sounded at that moment. Brooke rolled her eyes. Because she knew she had been a little distracted lately because the only thing on her damn mind seemed to be a pair of dark eyes and brown curls framing a breathtakingly perfect face. That was it.  
”Nothing’s wrong, I’m just hungry.”, she lied, biting her lip, ”Maybe we could go to Crunch down the street today?”  
Nina raised her eyebrows.  
”The Tuesday café? But we always go to Chipotle on Fridays?”  
”I’m feeling spontaneous.”, Brooke shrugged.  
”Since when is Brooke Lynn Hytes spontaneous?”, Nina looked as amused as she looked confused.  
”I guess I’m full of surprises! Let’s go.”, Brooke said as she threw her bag over her shoulder, ignoring Nina’s suspicious glare.

”My two favorite office hoes!”, Silky shouted as soon they entered the café and Brooke laughed while making her way to their usual table.  
Silky’s way of talking and big personality had been confusing and a little overwhelming to her at first when they started coming there, but Brooke had quickly learned to love that about her, the way she always seemed to shout and swear in the most loving way to all her costumers, like she had known them for years.  
”Hi Silk, how are you?”, Nina smiled, giving other woman a hug before she sat down across from Brooke.  
”It’s all good, boo boo, you know me, a bitch ain’t had a day off since-”  
”-December 2011.”, Nina finished Silky’s sentence for her and the woman chuckled.  
”That’s right. So what can I get you two today?”  
”Could we have two of the cream cheese bagels, maybe? We haven’t had those in a while”, Nina started and looked at Brooke for approval.  
”And coffee!”, she added as Silky wrote down their order.  
”Coming right up!”

Nina started talking to Brooke about an upcoming meeting next week and Brooke knew it was important but she just couldn’t focus..  
”Okay, what are you looking for?”, Nina said after a few minutes of trying to talk to her before giving up.  
”What?”, Brooke answered, not even realizing her eyes had been roaming the room, probably from the second they walked in, searching for a short brunette with hypnotizing eyes.  
”You look like a lost kid looking for their parents at the grocery store or something. Or a white woman looking for the Louis Vuitton sale.”  
Brooke laughed.  
”I don’t, I’m just thinking about that meeting next week that you were talking about, I have to write down some notes and make some calls.”, she lied.  
Nina did not believe her one bit but only shot her a suspicious glare. Brooke was about to reassure her when she got interrupted by a loud voice next to them.  
”Two cream cheese bagels and two coffees with milk for you ladies.”, the brunette, Vanjie, Brooke recalled, said as she placed their order on the table.  
”You’re new!”, Nina noticed and looked up at the woman with her kindest smile and grabbed the brunette by her hand, ”I’m Nina. We’re regulars here, usually only on Tuesdays though but this one here decided to be a little spontaneous.”  
Brooke stared Nina down, hearing the waitress laugh next to them.  
”I’m Vanessa, but everyone calls me Vanjie.”, the brown eyed girl, Vanessa, shook Nina’s hand as she introduced herself before turning to Brooke who felt like her tongue were stuck in her throat and her lips glued shut.  
”Brooke Lynn.”, she finally managed to say, trying her best not to shake as she took Vanessa’s hand.  
What the fuck was going in with her?  
”Brooke Lynn. Cute. Imma remember that one.”, Vanessa left with a wink, leaving Brooke with her jaw hanging open once again.  
”Holy shit, now I see why you wanted to come here!”, Nina whispered but Brooke could hear the excitement in her voice, ”You have a crush!”  
”Oh, shut up, Iv’e only seen her here once before.”  
”Is this why you’ve been so distracted lately?”  
”Shut up.”, Brooke hissed and started picking at her food.

Thirty minutes consisting of Nina teasing her and wiggling her eyebrows knowingly passed before Brooke noticed the sound of heels against the floor getting closer.  
”Ya’ll done ladies?”  
Brooke looked up at Vanessa, smiling shyly.  
Since when did she start to act like a fucking teenage girl with a high school crush?  
Snap out of it.  
“Yes, thank you, it was delicious.”, Brooke answered, knowing Nina looked at her with that teasing, dorky grin on her face.  
“Nothing but deliciousness at this place, honey.”, the shorter woman quickly replied with one of those winks she always seemed to give her and Brooke was caught off guard once again.  
Nina couldn’t stop laughing.

That night, Brooke couldn’t sleep, the words baby, honey and Mami were ringing in her ears on repeat, making her head hurt. When she finally fell into a slumber at four in the morning, she dreamed about two dark eyes watching her, two soft hands around her waist and a pair of lips for her to kiss.

And as Brooke kept going out for lunch at the small café for the next two upcoming Tuesdays, watching Vanessa arrive with her food with a grin and leave her with a wink, the dreams only continued. Becoming more and more intense. Leaving Brooke more and more distracted.

 

“Why do I always let you drag me out to this place?”, Brooke laughed as she joined Nina and Shuga in an Uber on Saturday night that week.  
“Because you need to let loose a little! You should put going out clubbing in your calendar every Saturday from now on.”, Shuga laughed, doing a little dance in her seat.  
“There’s not gonna be nothing there I haven’t seen before.”, Brooke rolled her eyes.  
She’d much rather be curled up on the couch with her cats watching some shitty reality show by now. Still though, going out with her two closest friends was good for her, she knew that.  
“Stop being pressed about it! We’re gonna have a good time!”, Shuga said, looking at her phone.  
Nina offered Brooke a knowing smile and nodded. She knew Brooke was more introverted than the other two and she didn’t really enjoy the club life.  
But maybe going out, dancing and talking to strangers at the bar with too much tequila in her system was what Brooke needed, she could use a distraction from her other distraction.

Five shots of tequila and two hours later, Brooke was on the dance floor with Shuga and Nina twirling around her.  
She felt like she did all this on routine too, though. There was a clear pattern every time she went out, even if she tried to let go. Two tequilas in and she’d hit the dance floor, then two more tequilas, usually given to her by strangers who wanted to take her home. Then a smoke break at her secret spot, then another shot. It was the same almost every time they went out.

Except this time it wasn’t.

Brooke was about to excuse herself to go for a smoke when she heard a loud laugh and a voice that she would probably recognize anywhere by now, despite only hearing once or twice a week for the last month or so.  
The taller blonde turned around instantly, facing Vanessa standing on a table across the room. Dressed in a tight red vinyl dress and a drink in her hand.  
Brooke felt dizzy.  
Nina seemed to notice Brooke’s sudden reaction and looked over at the direction where Vanessa was dancing care free on the table with two other girls.  
Brooke didn’t stop her own dancing as she watched Vanessa with Nina by her side.  
She was unable to take her eyes off the short brunette and the way she was dancing like there was no others in the club. She swayed her hips, flipped her hair, smiled brightly towards her friends and then, suddenly, looking directly at Brooke.  
Brooke was gonna faint.  
Their eyes were locked as they both danced from their spots at the club, neither of them blinking. Brooke was full on staring until it became to much. She snapped back to reality and turned to Nina.  
“I’m going for a smoke. I’ll be right back.”  
She quickly made her way through the back door out to her usual smoke area by the containers. No one except the people working at the club really knew about this spot so she didn’t have to deal with other drunk smokers trying to talk to her or feel her.  
She lit one cigarette, breathing it in like fresh air and then lit another one.

“Those things are so bad for you mama but you sure look hot as hell smoking them.”  
The voice caught her off guard and she turned around quickly, facing Vanessa standing just inches from her.  
“Did I scare you?”, she laughed after seeing the shocked expression on Brooke's face.  
“No! Or well, yes. There’s usually no one else out here.”  
“No they all out smoking outside the front door, socializing, not standing here by the trash cans.”, Vanessa pointed out, an amused smile tugging at her lips.  
“Thought you could use some company though.”  
Vanessa took one step towards her and she was so close to Brooke that she could feel her breath on her face.  
Brooke shivered.  
“I saw you dancing out there.”, Vanessa said, not blinking.  
“I saw you too.”  
There was so much tension in the air now you probably couldn’t even cut through it. Brooke was paralyzed. Vanessa’s face was so close. If Brooke just tilted her head down a little she could kiss her. Press her up against the wall and kiss her until neither of them could breathe. She could do that.  
But she didn’t.  
Vanessa fluttered her lashes, her brown eyes staring into Brooke’s. Not making a sound.  
“Brooke! Shuga lost her wallet you need to help us look- oh.”  
They both jumped at the sound of the heavy door being slammed open.  
Nina.  
“Sorry, I though you were alone.”, Nina apologized but a grin quickly started growing on her face.  
“No worries! I see y’all inside!”, Vanessa strutted inside again, her heals making a loud sound against the ground and Brooke groaned quietly.  
“Sorry!”, Nina said again as Brook put her lighter back in her pocket.  
“It’s fine. Let’s go look for the wallet.”

Nothing happened that night, but Brooke was changed. She barely slept that night either.

 

“Do you wanna go to Crunch today? I know it’s not Tuesday but-”, Nina asked her the following Monday and Brooke shot her a warning look before she finished her sentence.  
”Yeah, because that wouldn’t be obvious at all.”  
”Hey, they wouldn’t need to know why! I’m sure they would only be happy that we’re back so soon, Silky loves us!”, Nina said in defense and Brooke sighed, ”And Vanjie does too, apparently.”  
Brooke ignored the last comment.  
“I don’t know, I have a lot of work to finish so I’m probably just gonna stay here.”  
Nina didn’t answer.  
“Sorry for being a bitch, Nina.”  
“You know I love you anyway.”, her friend answered with a kind smile and a wink as she left for lunch alone.  
Brooke didn’t finish her work, though. She walked out of the building, stopped a little further down the sidewalk and smoked three cigarettes in a row. She could swear she saw see a small brunette in a yellow dress and an apron through the window at the café down the street.  
Or it was all in her imagination.  
Brooke was definitely hung up on this.

She kept tossing and turning in bed at night for the fourth week in a row, apparently having fucked her sleeping routine up completely because she was sure she hadn’t slept more than ten hours a week total this last month. The clock was around four thirty when she finally fell asleep, longing for her upcoming lunch break later that day.

 

“You coming?”, Brooke said the next day at twelve as she stood up and stretched, watching Nina work her fingers quickly over the keyboard.  
“I think you should go by yourself.”, she answered, not looking up from her computer but a smile started growing on her face.  
“What? Why?”  
“You could use some Brooke Lynn alone time at Crunch again.”, she smirked and Brooke groaned.  
“Fine. But if this is some sort of set up I will kick your ass, Nina!”, she said, not really sure of what she thought was going to happen.  
Nina only laughed in response and Brooke made her way out of the building, quickly walking towards her regular Tuesday café, which lately meant a little more to her.

”Miss thing! Imma send Vanjie over to your table right away, boo!”, Silky said as soon as Brooke opened the door.  
She didn’t even have the chance to answer before Silky walked away, so she took her spot at her usual table by the window and nervously tapped her nails against the wood.  
“What can I get for you today, baby?”  
Vanessa.  
Brooke just stared at her, unable to answer the simple question because what was up with her casual use of all these nick names?  
“Don’t look so shook, I’m just playing, it’s way too easy with you, Mami.”  
And there it was again.  
Vanessa winked and Brooke couldn’t help but to smile, feeling the blush spreading on her cheeks.  
“Just the salad number 5 with-“  
“- With extra olives and cashews, coming right up!”, Vanessa said before Brooke could finish her sentence and walked away with a grin.  
She swayed her hips even more than usual as she walked into the kitchen and Brooke immediately looked out the window when she caught herself staring, again.  
Brooke couldn’t wrap her head around what it was about the short, extroverted woman that made her head and nerves go crazy. Brooke didn’t feel like this. She never did. Not for anyone. She never let someone else have that impact on her. And Vanessa said herself she was only playing with her. But the ways their eyes locked when she said it made Brooke think there was more to it. There was a connection there, tension, even though they hadn’t really talked talked yet. They didn’t really know each other.

Not yet.

“Number five for the finest lady here!”, Vanessa arrived a few minutes later with her food and Brooke wondered how long she had been staring out the window for.  
“Thank you, Vanessa.”, Brooke said, carefully watching the brunettes reaction to her use of her name.  
She noticed the way Vanessa’s eye grew wider. It was definitely not just in her head. It couldn’t be.  
“Of course.”, she said, not breaking the eye contact, “Silk, I’m taking my break!”  
“You can’t do that now bitch!”, Silky yelled back.  
“Watch me.”, was all Vanessa said, still staring at Brooke who couldn’t breathe.  
“Turns our I’m on my break, care if I join you?”, she then said with a smug grin on her face.  
“You crazy, thirsty ass bitch.”, they heard Silky mutter as she kept on sweeping the floor.  
“Are you allowed to spend your breaks out here watching the customers eat?”, Brooke teased, feeling a little more daring all of a sudden.  
“Only if they hella cute.”, Vanessa shot back immediately.  
This was a game.  
“So olives and cashews, huh?”, she started and nodded towards Brooke’s plate.  
“What about it?”  
“That’s something y’all love in Canada?”  
Brooke laughed softly.  
“Not really, not that I know of at least. I haven’t been there in a few years though so I could be wrong.”  
Vanessa smiled, tilting her head a little as she watched Brooke and it melted her heart.  
“When did you move from Canada to LA?”, she asked.  
“Ten years ago. I was a dancer back then, so I moved here for more work opportunities.”  
“So you a dancer huh? I could tell, Mami.”, Vanessa said calmly and Brooke felt the food getting stuck in her throat.  
”I was.”  
Vanessa raised her eyebrows.  
“What about you?”, Brooke changed the subject  
“Am I a dancer?”  
“No when did you come to LA? Or are you from here? Because your accent doesn’t sound-“, Brooke started rambling and was cut off by Vanessa’s laugh.  
“I’m from Tampa. Well, Puerto Rico originally. Moved here five years ago. And yes I am a dancer too, if you haven’t figured that out already.”, she said, playing with a piece of curly hair between her fingers.  
“No I definitely figured that one out.”, Brooke said without even realizing it and she could have sworn she saw the woman’s eyes turn darker at her words. Brooke’s heart was pounding so loud she was pretty sure it could be heard from across the street.

She listened to Vanessa talk about her background, telling cute little stories and Brooke thought to herself that she could do this forever. Listening to Vanessa, getting an insight in her life, telling her about herself, actually getting to know her, finally.

And it turned out that talking about Tampa, Canada and dancing made the time fly. One hour went by fast and Brooke didn’t even realize it until silky started yelling that Vanessa’s break was over ten minutes ago and by that time Brooke realized she was late back to work herself.  
“Shit, uhm, can I pay right away? I have to get back to the office or Nina’s gonna kill me.”, she said as she fumbled with her money, “-keep the change.”  
“One second babe Imma get your receipt.”  
Brooke was about to say that she didn’t need it and that she really was in a hurry but Vanessa was on her feet within seconds.  
Brooke looked at the clock again.  
“There you go Miss Brooke Lynn. Hope I’ll see you next Tuesday if you don’t feel spontaneous enough to come by earlier.”, Vanessa winked and placed the receipt in the blondes hand, her fingers lingering.  
Brooke shivered and she was completely sure that Vanessa noticed.  
“Bye Vanjie.”  
“Bye Brooke.”

Brooke ran back to the office, excusing herself a million times for being late when she almost slammed the door open in Nina’s face.  
But Nina only grinned towards her, wiggling her eyebrows.  
“What?”, asked Brooke.  
“How was Vanjie?”, Nina said teasingly.  
“Oh come on, it’s not like that.”  
“Whatever you say, Brooke Lynn.”  
“Let’s just get back to working.”, Brooke had the last word but Nina didn’t stop glancing at her with an amused expression on her face.

“You might want to check that receipt of yours, by the way.”, Nina said after ten minutes of working in silence, and nodded towards the paper Brooke had thrown on her desk.  
Brooke looked at her, confused, before she realized what Nina meant.  
In the left corner of the receipt there was a phone number written, followed by a heart and “xoxo Vanjie”.  
Brooke couldn’t swallow or blink, Nina noticed and started laughing again.  
“This is so fucking high school, I’m living for it.”  
“Shit.”, was the only thing Brooke managed to say.  
She was definitely deeper into this than she first thought.

Vanessa appeared in her dreams that night too when Brooke finally fell asleep after hours of debating on wether or not she should text the woman.  
She didn’t.  
Not yet.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two of Ever Since We Met. This is a long one, kids. Also THANK YOU all so much for your reviews on the first chapter.

Chapter Two

Brooke was guarded. Afraid of her own feelings and despised the idea of sharing them with someone else. And for that exact reason, she had never been in a relationship. Sharing her thoughts, her time and her life scared the shit out of her. And honestly, no one she had come across had ever made her feel like she wanted to question that part of herself. She had never felt the need to change it for anyone. Sure, she had been on many dates with many different people, several one night stands every other week but none of them had made Brooke wanting to actually get to know them. They never made her want to share herself with them. She never wanted to let them in.  
And although she wasn’t sure what she was feeling at all at the moment, she knew that it was something about Vanessa that made her want to change. She wanted to let her in, she wanted her to know all of Brooke. All of her feelings and all of her secrets. She wanted to tell Vanessa about her life and her dreams. She wanted to know everything about Vanessa in return. What Vanessa’s family was like, where she went to high school, if she was a cat or a dog person, how she would drink her coffee in the morning, what her lips would feel like against Brooke’s neck on a Sunday morning. She wanted to know everything. And that was a first for Brooke. And she was scared because for once she actually cared.

Three weeks had passed since Brooke saw Vanessa’s face for the first time, three weeks since she started feeling things she had tried, and succeeded, to suppress her whole life. It was the middle of the week, Wednesday, and Brooke got up earlier than usual, skipped breakfast and headed straight for the café down the street from her office. Breaking her usual routine completely.  
“Miss Brooke? Damn, Vanjie must have done you good if you’re here this early on a Wednesday.”, Silky laughed as Brooke walked inside. Brooke smiled but rolled her eyes at Silky’s words before ordering her usual coffee, watching the woman walk away with that huge grin still stuck on her face.

“Damn, what’s gotten into you, mami? You’re here this early?”, Vanessa walked up to her, a kind of smile on her face that the blonde hadn’t seen before, making her look shy, almost.  
“Feeling spontaneous.”, Brooke winked, relishing in the feeling of her being the one catching Vanessa off guard for once.  
“I like it when you’re spontaneous, Miss Brooke Lynn.”, the brunette said as she filled her cup with steaming coffee.  
“Let me know if you need anything else.”, she said then, “- or you know, if you need lessons in how to text someone.”  
A quick wink and she left.  
Brooke realizing she was smiling to herself like an idiot and started drinking her coffee slowly, occasionally exchanging a lingering gaze with Vanessa who strutted from table to table. She gave every customer a smile as she took their orders, but never one as big as the ones she would give Brooke. At least that was what Brooke told herself, and as if on cue, Vanessa soon showed up at her table again to confirm her theory, giving Brooke her biggest, brightest smile she could as she refilled her cup.  
”On the house.”, she winked.

Half an hour passed as Brooke finished her second cup of coffee.  
”You take care, baby.”, Vanessa had told her, her voice low, as Brooke left the café for work, feeling high on the feeling of Vanessa smiling at her like that.

She wasted no time when she got back to the office, puling her phone out of her pocket within a second.

_I’m texting. Hi. - Brooke_

Barely a minute passed before her phone buzzed in her pocket.

_Took you long enough Mami. - Vanjie_

Brooke could hear Vanessa’s voce in her head as she read the text over and over. That raspy, loud, unique voice. The voice that echoed in Brooke’s head like a mantra. Or a favorite song.  
”You finally decided to text her?”, the sound of Nina’s voice pulled her back to reality and she finally looked up from her phone.  
”Yeah.”  
”About time!”, her friend said, clapping her hands, ”I’ve never seen you like this around another person before, all shy and giddy, and texting!”  
”I told you it’s not like that, I don’t even know her that well.”, Brooke sighed, leaning back against her chair.  
”You want to, though.”, Nina said, more serious this time.  
And she was right. Brooke did want to know Vanessa more. All of her. Every little detail.  
”It’s nice seeing you like this though, Brooke. All soft. The ice queen surrenders.”, Nina was teasing her again but Brooke just smiled.  
”It’s just a crush though.”, she replied, ”-or you know, whatever.”, she quickly added.  
”So you can finally admit that now, that’s a good start.”, Nina grinned and Brooke rolled her eyes.  
”Let’s get back to working now, shall we?”

 

When it came to feelings, Brooke got in her head too much, she knew she did. She analyzed everything, every little moment she shared with Vanessa even if it was just a quick glance or a hand on her shoulder. She had to force herself to stay away from her new favorite cafe for a few days for her own sanity's sake. It didn’t help much though as it only took two days for Vanessa to completely take over her brain, she was all Brooke could thing about. She still waited three more days to go back though, not wanting to seem too obvious or desperate. And when Vanessa would text her, Brooke would wait a few hours before she would reply. She knew she was being silly, but this was the only way she knew how to deal with feelings. To try and distance herself from them.

Five days passed before Brooke entered the café again.  
The place was oddly quiet that day as she stepped inside, not even Silky made her usual appearance. Brooke sat down by the window, eyes carefully searching the room.

”You want the regular today, Brooke?”, Brooke was surprised when she saw A’keria standing next to her table a few minutes later, ready to take her order.  
And while A’keria had always been her favorite waitress at the café, at least until about four weeks ago, Brooke still couldn’t help the disappointment that appeared on her face.  
”You okay girl?”, A’keria asked suspiciously.  
”Yeah, uhm, can I have my regular salad, please?”, she answered, still distracted, and gazed through the room one more time as the woman left.  
Brooke couldn’t fight the anxiety burning in her chest and stomach. The main thing, or person, that made her keep coming back to this place and made her change her usual routines and patters, were nowhere to be seen.  
”Hey Silky?”, Brooke finally said as the woman passed her table.  
”What can I do for Miss Brooke Lynn today?”, Silky smiled, leaning against the table.  
Brooke didn’t know how to avoid sounding like an idiot or a stalker, but she needed to know.  
”I was just wondering if-”  
”You’re wondering where Vanjie is, god the two of you need to give me a break.”, Silky finished her sentence for her with a laugh.  
”She’s in Tampa.”, she continued, and Brooke felt her heart drop.  
”She moved back?”  
She felt like she was gonna throw up.  
”Calm your tits boo, she’s only there to visit family. She’ll be back soon!”, Silky laughed loudly, patting Brooke on the shoulder before she waked away.  
Suddenly the visit that day felt completely useless and the past five days like a waste of time. Brooke finished her lunch quickly before smoking three cigarettes in a row outside her office, the only, and most self destructive, way she knew to calm herself down. Desperately trying to distract herself.

She missed her. She missed her face, her voice, her constant teasing and the way she made Brooke feel when she spotted her at the café. She debated on wether to text Vanessa or not, just wanting to hear from her. To talk to her. About anything at all. But she didn’t want to seem invasive. So once again, she didn’t.

 

As Friday came around, Brooke’s head was still spinning with questions. She didn’t even understand herself why she was so worried but the anxious lump in her stomach only grew bigger each day. This was the exact reason why Brooke Lynn would never catch feelings for anyone, she thought. She always knew she would get overwhelmed and that it would all be too intense for her to deal with. If she had ever felt anything for anyone before, she always managed to push it away, she never let the feelings deepen. But when it came to Vanessa, she just couldn’t stop it. She let controlled her every thought., and Brooke didn’t even fight it. Because she couldn’t focus at all. Trying to get work done meant wondering when Vanessa was going to come back from Florida. Trying to read a recipe for dinner meant recalling Vanessas breath against her face outside the club. Trying to focus on the road while driving meant drowning in questions of why Vanessa hadn’t texted her. Trying to fall asleep meant imagining Vanessa’s small frame against her own.  
It drove Brooke crazy, and she damned herself for feeling like this. For feeling things at all.

 

”You’re coming out with us tonight.”, Shuga said as her and Nina entered Brooke’s apartment late the next Saturday night.  
Brooke hadn’t left her couch since yesterday afternoon and her friends were getting impatient, annoyed almost. No matter how much they enjoyed Brooke having a crush, they didn’t necessarily like how paralyzed and hopeless it made her. So when they showed up with two bottles of wine that night, Brooke knew she would have no other choice but to get up and do as they told her.  
”You can’t just mop around all day, girl.”, Shuga continued.  
”I’m just tired.”, Brooke tried and Shuga shook her head.  
”No, come on. Get up. Get dressed. Let’s go.”, she practically dragged Brooke from her spot on the couch and into her bedroom.  
”Let’s go!”, Shuga repeated and Brooke obeyed.  
Maybe going out and replacing everything in her head and her body with tequila would ease her mind a little.

And it did.  
Brooke was eight tequilas in and danced like never before next to Nina and Shuga. Both of them usually loved her messy drunk persona but this time Nina kept shooting her worried glances. And even more so after Brooke decided to shout out to the whole club that she had a crush on the most beautiful woman on the planet. But Brooke needed to get it out. Bottling up her feelings always ended up with her spilling it all sooner or later in a drunk state of mind anyway. She lost count of how many times she had said ”I just miss her face and her voice” to Nina as the hours went by, Nina just nodding at her rants with a smile, but her eyes were still worried as she tried her best to keep her drunk friend in check.  
”I’m going out for a smoke. I’ll be back in a minute, don’t worry.”, Brooke promised her and Nina watched her as she left.  
Brooke didn’t go through the back door to her usual spot this time though. Instead she followed the crowd of smokers out the front door and started walking down the street by herself. Her head was spinning, her jumpsuit was feeling uncomfortable in all the wrong places and her heels were killing her feet. She took them off and with one hand and lit a cigarette with the other.  
She strutted further down the street, ignoring cars honking at her and men stopping to look at her as she walked by. She wasn’t even afraid. She was untouchable again.  
She crossed yet another street, threw the cigarette away, aiming for the CVS around the corner as she crashed into something.  
Or someone.  
”Watch where you’re- Brooke?”, the person said and Brooke was sure she was dreaming when she heard the familiar raspy voice.  
Vanessa.  
Gorgeous, breathtaking, short and loud Vanessa.  
”Hey you.”, Brooke leaned in to hug her.  
”Damn mami you drunk as fuck.”, the shorter woman stated with a laugh when she saw the way Brooke struggled to even stand on her feet, grabbing Brooke by her wrist when she almost tripped.  
”I’m not that drunk.”, Brooke lied, not convincing anyone, as she slowly started walking backwards.  
”Where are you going, Mary?”, Vanessa asked softly, her eyes amused.  
”I really wanted to go buy some cheetos but now I just really want to go home to my bed. I also really want to go to Aruba but I’ll save that for another time.”, Brooke rambled, and somewhere in the back of her mind she was aware of the fact that she would wake up full of regret and embarrassment tomorrow. But she didn’t care at that moment.  
Vanessa laughed, throwing her head back.  
She was beautiful. Breathtaking.  
”I missed your face.”, Brooke said then, apparently surprising Vanessa with her words because her eyes grew wider as her lower lip started to tremble.  
She smiled, tilting her head a little.  
”Do you have anyone to take you home safely tonight, Brooke?”, she asked softly and Brooke wanted to cry because the tone in her voice was so sincere and so thoughtful. A different side of her, different from her usual loud, feisty and sarcastic self. She was looking at Brooke like she saw right through her. Like she actually, genuinely cared about her.  
Brooke forgot how to breathe,  
”I’m not sure, I think Nina and Shuga are still at the bar, they’re probably still talking to two brothers who are here on vacation. They’re from Sweden I think. They tried to hit me up first but I wasn’t interested-”, Brooke continued her rambling and Vanessa laughed again as she put her hand around the taller woman’s waist to help keep her up and threw Brooke’s arm over her own shoulders.  
”Okay, okay, okay. Let’s get you home safe now, mami.”

Brooke didn’t know how it happened but all of a sudden she was seated in Vanessa’s car, listening to the brunette singing along to every song on the radio.  
”You had a fun night, Miss Brooke Lynn?”, Vanessa said with a smile after a few minutes.  
”Uh-huh.”  
”Too much tequila?”  
”Probably, yeah.”, Brooke sighed and leaned against the window. Looking at the sight of Vanessa in the reflection, ”But I feel fine.”  
She half expected Vanessa to say something flirty back like she usually did, the type of comment that usually caught Brooke off guard, making her blush spread on her cheeks like a fire. But she didn’t. She smiled softly instead.

”Alright, this the right address? I ain’t sure I got it right from following your messy ass directions, but a bitch tried!”, she said a while later and stopped the car.  
”Yeah, this is it.”, Brooke replied in a yawn, seeing her apartment complex outside the window.  
”Let’s go, boo.”, Vanessa helped her up from her seat, laughing as Brooke stomped up the stairs barefoot with one heel in each hand.  
”Okay, floor number three, this is it yeah?”  
”Yes, here it is.”, Brooke leaned against the door, suddenly realizing that Vanessa would leave her soon and that she would wake up drowning in anxiety and a hangover tomorrow. Alone.  
”Let me make sure you get inside okay, alright?”, Vanessa reached into Brooke’s pocket, searching for the keys, resting her free hand against Brooke’s waist and then stopped to look up at the taller woman. She let her hands linger on on body. Brooke felt electricity running through her veins. The tension was thick between them, Brooke’s head was spinning and she wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the sudden rush of adrenaline from having Vanessa so close.  
The click from the door being unlocked pulled Brooke back to reality and she stumbled inside, not sure where she was heading.  
”Where’s your bedroom? Gonna make sure your ass don’t fall asleep in the bathtub or some shit.”, Vanessa laughed, eyes searching the apartment as she tried to guide Brooke to the right room.  
”Right here.”, Brooke said, barely being able to keep her eyes open by then. She let Vanessa pull her by her wrist into her room and was carefully sat down on the bed.  
”You think you can lie down now, mami?”, Vanessa asked, her voice soft and low again in that way that sent shivers down Brooke’s spine.  
Vanessa’s hand was still around her wrist.  
Brooke felt like she was burning.  
”Imma get you some water. Stay here.”  
Her grip around Brooke disappeared, and if she hadn’t been so damn exhausted, Brooke would probably had jumped off the bed and stopped her from leaving her alone even for a second.

”There you go.”, Vanessa appeared again within seconds, placing a tall glass of water next to the bed.  
”You’re a good waitress.”, Brooke whispered with a tired smile and relaxed further into the pillow.  
”Uh-huh, you better tip me good, bitch.”, Vanessa replied with a wink and Brooke heard herself laugh but was pretty sure she was already half asleep.  
”Sweet dreams, Brooke Lynn.”, she heard her raspy voice say, and Brooke wasn’t sure if the kiss against her forehead just before Vanessa left was real or only in her imagination.

Brooke Lynn had never fallen asleep as fast as she did that night.

 

The next day she woke up feeling like an absolute wreck. Anxious and embarrassed. She could barely remember anything at all from the club but everything after the second she bumped into Vanessa was crystal clear. It felt like she could still feel Vanessa’s grip around her wrist and her soft lift pressed against her forehead for just a second. She slowly pulled up her phone, groaning at the sight of her screen being blown up by messages and missed calls. She expected Nina to be mad at her when she called her back, but was instead instantly told from Nina about how Vanessa had called her from Brooke’s phone yesterday, only to let Nina known she had gotten her friend home safely.  
Brooke was still melting at the story by the time they hung up. She smiled foolishly at her phone for a few seconds before searching through her contacts again.

 

_Thank you for making sure I got home yesterday, I really appreciate it. - Brooke_

_Of course mami, wouldn’t want anything to happen to that pretty face of yours. - Vanjie_

 

The hangover and the feeling of being hit by a train stuck with Brooke until Monday afternoon.  
By lunch time Nina dragged her down the street to Crunch by after being forced to listen to Brooke for hours going on and on about how she was sure she had embarrassed herself in front of Vanessa.

”Look what the cat dragged in!”, Silky greeted them loudly as usual as soon as they stepped inside.  
Nina laughed and started chatting with her while Brooke looked through the room, not finding what, or who, she was looking for.  
”Relax, she’s probably just on her break.”, Nina said when they sat down as if she had just read her mind.  
”You make me sound like a stalker.”, Brooke said and Nina grinned.  
”I like stalker-Brooke with a crush though. It’s sweet.”  
”Oh, fuck off.”  
”What can I get for ya’ll today?”  
And there she was.  
Her hair thrown up in a bun, the yellow dress with the apron hugging her curves tightly, her lips drawn into a smile as she chewed a gum between her teeth.  
”Hi Vanjie.”, Nina greeted her.  
Vanessa smiled brightly, ”Hi Miss Nina”.  
Then she looked at Brooke, chewing her gum intensely.  
”Hi Brooke Lynn.”  
”Hi Vanessa.”, Brooke felt a wave of calmness come over her at the sight of those sparkly brown eyes.  
Maybe she had nothing to worry about after all, she thought.  
”That hangover looks good on you.”, she winked and Brooke instantly felt the blush creep up on her cheeks.  
Nina laughed loudly and Vanessa’s smile widened, her dimples growing deeper.  
”Is it that obvious?”, Brooke groaned but let herself relax a little and joined in on the other’s laughter.  
”Nah, I’m just playing, baby. You look good, I wouldn’t be able to tell if it wasn’t for the fact that I drove your wasted ass home on Saturday.”, she grinned and Brooke felt her cheeks getting even warmer.  
”Sorry about that. And thank you.”  
Vanessa only continued smiling, her perfect teeth showing and Brooke wondered if it was obvious to the others how was completely and utterly mesmerized she was by her.  
”So what can I get you ladies?”, Vanessa said then when she realized that she actually had to keep on working.  
”Could we get two of the enchiladas and two cups of coffee, please.”, Nina replied and the brunette nodded, eyes still focused on Brooke.  
”Got it. Good choice. You know, enchiladas are great hangover food.”, she winked and walked away, leaving the blonde sighing and Nina laughing.  
”See! It’s all good.”, Nina reassured her.  
Brooke could only groan again in response but she felt relieved. She had nothing to worry about.  
”Also, don’t forget we’re going out on Thursday to celebrate Shuga.”, Nina then reminded her and Brooke realized she had been so stuck in her own head lately that she almost forgot one of her best friends birthdays.  
Her feelings messing with her head more than she liked to admit.  
”Right, of course, I’ll be there. But don’t make me drink again.”

Ten minutes later, the delicious smell of their food filled mixed with Vanessa’s even more delicious perfume surrounded them as the brunette arrived with two plates in her hands.  
”There you go ladies.”  
”Thank you, Vanessa.”, Brooke said, their eyes locked, no blinking.  
”Anytime.”  
”Hey Vanjie- ”, Nina interrupted their little moment and Vanessa turned her eyes away from Brooke.  
”We’re celebrating a friends birthday on Thursday at nine down at Micky’s, do you want to come? Bring Silky and A’keria too, tell them it’s Shuga’s birthday, they know her too.”  
Brooke kicked Nina under the table.  
Vanessa’s smile grew wider as she nodded, looking Brooke up and down.  
”We’ll be there.”  
And then she left.  
”Nina, what the fuck!?”, Brooke hissed, watching Nina laughing at her.  
”Come on, you want to get to know her better! Plus Silky and A’keria will be there and we’ve known them and this place for years. And they know Shuga too.”  
”I swear to god.”, Brooke sighed, carefully turning her gaze towards Vanessa who was glancing at her with a smile from where she stood across the room.  
”Just trust me, Brooke.”, Nina had the last word.  
And Brooke did.

 

When Thursday came around, Brooke was freaking out. Somehow getting ready after she finished work felt like an impossible task. She redid her makeup three times, threw all of her clothes out of the closet, turning the bedroom into complete chaos. Eventually she managed to paint her lips red right after she downed a glass of red wine to calm herself down. Her nerves felt out of control. She hated it. She hated when her emotions overwhelmed her and took her by surprise. She wanted full control over them. Not the other way around.

”Bitch, you look stunning!”, Shuga greeted her with a hug later at the bar .  
Nina nodded in agreement, her face lighting up as they heard three loud voices entering the club not two seconds later.  
”Happy birthday, bitch!”, Silky yelled over the music, hugging all three of them tightly followed by A’keria.  
Vanessa came after them, dressed in an oversized, glittery jersey and thigh high boots, Brooke was sure she almost accidentally swallowed her own tongue. Her skin was tingling.  
”I’m Vanjie.”, she introduced herself to Shuga, giving her a hug, then Nina, then she turned to Brooke.  
Her heart felt like it stopped working completely.  
Vanessa took one step closer to where Brooke stood leaning against the bar, her short figure reaching up to hug the taller woman while turning her face towards her ear.  
”You look gorgeous.”  
The whisper made Brooke shiver and her eyes fell shut. The embrace lingered for long but not long enough before Vanessa pulled back.  
”So do you.”, Brooke breathed and Vanessa smiled, her eyes sparkling before looking down at the shot in her hand given to her by Nina.  
”Come on, let’s give Shuga a night to remember.”

The club was loud and sweaty and definitely not the right environment to try to get to know someone but Vanessa and Brooke still managed. Both seated by the bar, trying to make themselves heard to one another over the loud music, legs brushing against each other.  
Brooke learned more about Vanessa, just like she had wanted. She learned that Vanessa was a middle child. That she preferred romantic movies over action. That she loved cats, hence the tattoo on her chest. She had gotten it done when she was twenty. That she couldn’t tolerate spicy food. That she was a libra and that she adored Britney Spears in secret. Brooke could listen to the woman talk and tell her stories all night. And Vanessa was apparently curious too, listening closely to Brooke talk about Canada, about ballet, about her family. About everything she wanted Vanessa to know. Brooke felt euphoric again. Even more so when Vanessa eventually stood up, stretching her hand out towards Brooke.  
”Let’s go dancing.”  
She felt hypnotized and followed Vanessa to the dance floor like a shadow.

The club was even louder now, hotter, sweatier and got more crowded by the second. Brooke didn’t care though, because Vanessa was dancing close to her, moving her body to the music, occasionally touching Brooke’s waist or grabbing her hands. Shots of tequila were handed around between the group and it didn’t take long until Brooke somehow ended up on Silky’s back, moving her arms and upper body to the music above everyone else. Every time she looked down the short brunette was smiling at her, dancing next to Nina and A’keria. Brooke wanted to jump right down and kiss the smile off of her face right there and then. She wanted to run her hands under the glittery jersey with her back pressed against the wall and whisper promises against her ears. She wanted her.

”I’m going out for a cigarette.”, Brooke yelled to Silky a few songs later and pushed her way through the crowd towards the back door.  
The cold air hit her face as soon she stepped outside causing her hands to shake as she lit a cigarette. She was looking up at the sky, trying to make out a star or two when the door cracked open again.  
Brooke knew who it was before she even heard the voice.  
”Thought you’d be out here.”, Vanessa smiled and slowly walked towards her.  
”Just needed some fresh air.”  
”You call that shit fresh air?”, she laughed and nodded towards the smoke leaving Brooke’s lips.  
Brooke smiled back. There was silence for a moment, their eyes made contact. It felt too intense. Too much.  
”Thank you again for this past Saturday, by the way. And sorry, I swear I’m not usually a messy drunk like that.”, Brooke finally managed to speak.  
”You apologize too much! I was just relieved that it was my ass you bumped into and not some crusty dusty old creep!”  
Brooke laughed.  
”Seriously though, no worries, baby. You were sweet. Told me you had missed my face and all.”, something shifted in Vanessa’s voice, making her sound more serious. Hopeful, almost.  
Brooke could hear her own pulse in her ears.  
”Sorry about being needy like that.”, she laughed nervously, almost wanting to look away but she just couldn’t.  
”Did you though?”, Vanessa stared at her, a soft smile appearing on her face.  
Brooke froze.  
”What?”  
”Did you mean it?”  
Yes I did. Too much. Brooke wanted to say.  
But she didn’t.  
She wasn’t sure she even answered the question but nonetheless Vanessa’s smile still grew bigger and she took another step closer to Brooke.  
”I’m having a great time tonight.”, Brooke said lamely, almost whispering, unsure of where she was going with it but she knew she needed to change the subject if she wanted her heart to stop pounding so hard against her ribs it got painful.  
Vanessa was so close now, Brooke could smell her shampoo and felt her breath against her lips when she opened her mouth.  
”I can tell. You’re glowing out on that dance floor, you know. Probably making all the mother fuckers in the club wanting to take you home.”, Vanessa replied, voice low and even raspier than usual.  
And the change of subject apparently did absolutely nothing to calm Brooke’s nerves, only the complete opposite.  
Brooke was lost again.  
”You too. People are mesmerized by the way you move.”, Brooke breathed, throwing the cigarette on the ground, not breaking eye contact.  
”I don’t really care for them.”, Vanessa replied immediately, getting impossibly closer and Brooke found herself unable to speak again.  
”Vanessa-”, she managed to get out.  
She didn’t get to finish the sentence before closed the last bit of distance, crashing their their lips together.

Brooke felt like she was going to explode. Their lips were fast, hard and sloppy against each other but it was absolutely perfect. Vanessa gently bit down on Brooke’s lower lip, making the taller woman tremble.  
Her hands felt like they were doing too much yet not enough, cupping Vanessas face, tangling her fingers in her hair, stroking down her sides, touching everything she could. Vanessa was pressing her smaller body against Brooke, her grip firm around her neck before slowly bringing one hand down to ghost over her lower back and eventually her ass.  
Brooke heard herself moan into her mouth and quickly turned them both around. She grabbed the underside of Vanessa’s thighs, yanking her up on the dumpster next to them. She heard the woman’s breath hitch in her throat and Brooke smiled against her lips.  
”I’ve wanted this ever since we met. Ever since I saw you.”, Vanessa breathed against her lips, linking her feet together around Brooke’s waist, rolling her hips onto the blonde.  
”Me too.”, Brooke kissed her hungrily, her hands pulling Vanessa closer even though it wasn’t really possible, ”Me too.”  
She had never experienced a kiss like this before, it felt surreal. Tt felt like art. It felt like something people would write poems about. Brooke carefully brought her hands from around Vanessa’s waist to to slowly start traveling up her thighs, carefully slipping underneath the fabric of her dress, fingers ghosting over her skin.  
”Brooke, please.”, Vanessa said in a shaky breath, shivering under Brooke’s touch as she started to kiss down her neck, slowly licking the tattoo on her chest and up again.

”Hey, you can’t be out here!”  
Brooke froze and let go of Vanessa’s body before turning around to see a security guard by the door. Neither of them had heard the heavy door being opened behind them.   
”Inside, now!”, he yelled, louder than necessary and Brooke started to walk towards the door, hearing Vanessa giggle behind her as she grabbed her arm.  
”There you are!”, Nina said as soon she spotted the two women back inside.  
”Ya’ll done?”, Silky grabbed Vanessa by her wrist.  
”Yvie called and she’s black out drunk at that nasty smelling bar down the block and we need to go get the bitch.”, she continued and something looking a lot like disappointment reached Vanessa’s eyes.  
She turned her gaze towards Brooke again, her facial expression softening a bit.  
”Ya’ll finish what you started another time hoes, I’m sorry but we really need to go get her.”, Silky said, gesturing between Vanessa and Brooke who were looking intensely at each other, the tension still hanging heavy in the air between them.  
”They’re all staying at my place tonight so I guess I have to go with them and help with Yvie. The fucking bitch can never take care of herself when she’s drunk.”, Vanessa mumbled close to Brooke’s ear and the taller one nodded, trying her best not to seem disappointed.  
”Yeah, of course.”, she breathed.  
”I’ll see you tomorrow? I’ll probably come by at lunch.”, she continued and Vanessa’s face lit up.  
”Yes. See you tomorrow, mami.”

And that night, Brooke got right back into the horrible habit of not sleeping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think loves!


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter three of Ever Since We Met.  
> Sorry this chapter took so long, I'm working my ass off at the moment. I hope you'll enjoy this one.  
> ALSO thank you babies for your reviews on the previous chapters.

_Chapter Three_

The feeling was so unfamiliar to Brooke. The feeling of someone slowly tearing her walls apart, getting inside of her head, making her feel vulnerable. The feeling of actually _wanting_ to let someone do all that to her. It was a completely new sensation.

 

She had been called the queen of ice for the majority of her life. Never showing too much of her emotions and everything she bottled up inside. Only every now and then with tequila running in her system. Brooke had never wanted anyone to see through her, to know her deepest darkest emotions. Never wanted anyone to get too close. 

 

But Vanessa. Funny, hysterical, gorgeous and hypnotizing Vanessa. Brooke wanted her to know, to see, to _feel_ everything that Brooke was. She had never wanted anything, _anyone_ , so much in her damn life and it scared her. She had always been fine with being as independent as she was, she took pride in it. She didn’t ever think that there would be someone that would make her want to tear her walls down, but Vanessa did.

 

 

”Spill it.”, Nina said as soon as Brooke entered the office that next day.

”Spill what?.”, Brooke acted as if she didn’t already know what Nina was talking about. 

”Did you fuck her?”

Brooke raised her eyebrows.

”No.”

”Did you kiss her?”

”Yes.”

Nina squealed in her seat and normally Brooke would normally have rolled her eyes at her reaction, but when thinking back at the moment, Brooke couldn’t help but to smile. 

”I’ve never seen you like this and I am living for it!”, Nina continued, unable to stop grinning.

”Don’t get too confident, it was just a kiss.”, Brooke told her and felt her own words sting a little because she realized in that moment that it was the truth. 

 

Her and Vanessa had shared a kiss or two in the alley at the back of a club. It could mean nothing to the other woman. Brooke didn’t know that. All she knew was that she desperately wanted for Vanessa to have felt the same as she did in that moment. 

 

”I can’t wait to watch this go down.”, Nina said a few hour later as they walked towards their latest regular lunch spot.

And Brooke was nervous. 

”Shut up.”

Like always, Silky’s loud voice greeted them as soon as they walked in and Brooke spotted Vanessa across the room within no time. 

”Vanjie, go take care of your woman!”, Silky shouted and Vanessa strutted over to them, her dress and apron looking particularly short that day for some reason, showing off her tanned, shiny thighs. 

Brooke licked her lips. 

”Hi.”

”Hey you.”

Nina was smiling and staring like a kid in a candy shop as she watched the interaction between the two. 

”How are you ladies today?”

”Great.”, Brooke said, not being able to focus when the only thing on her mind was grabbing Vanessa’s face and kiss her senseless against the table.

”Did you have fun last night, Vanjie?”, Nina asked, clearly referring to what everyone already knew happened between them.

”Oh you know I did.”, Vanessa licked her lips and Brooke thought she would loose control right there and then, every single memory from the previous night taking over her brain completely.

”So what can I get for ya'll today?”, Vanessa’s leaned over the table a little and Brooke was full on staring at the tattoo on her chest. Wanting, _longing_ , to run her teeth over it. 

Vanessa noticed.

”Two caesar salads please.”, Nina replied, barely being able to keep herself from laughing when she realized Brooke couldn’t get a word out.

Vanessa nodded with a smirk and walked away, swaying her hips with every step. 

”Well, I’m just gonna go ahead and guess that it’s not the caesar salad you’re so thirsty for.”, Nina laughed and Brooke realized her jaw was still hanging. She wouldn’t even be surprised if she was drooling.

”You’re enjoying this way too much.”, she groaned. 

”And you need to do something about it.”, Nina argued, wiggling her eyebrows and Brooke couldn’t even get annoyed. 

”I can’t believe I’m a full grown woman acting like a smitten teenager.”

”It’s cute though.”

 

Vanessa joined their table after a while. Talking, telling stories. Her foot brushed against Brooke’s under the table, their eyes lingering on each other as they spoke. Silky eventually sat down with them as well, telling jokes and stories about Vanessa that made her face turn red and Brooke’s heart flutter. She loved getting to know all these new sides to Vanessa. She felt like she finally _really_ knew her. All the small parts and embarrassing details and Brooke adored them all.

 

 

But Brooke’s existence started to feel heavy after that, like she was running in circles. Another week had passed with her and Vanessa texting between late shifts at work and busy schedules. Brooke would see her at the café on some of her lunch breaks with Nina, they would flirt intensely every given opportunity, let their eyes linger on each other before Brooke would leave the place to go back to work. But Brooke wanted more now, the was the one thing she was certain about. She wanted to be closer to Vanessa. She wanted to kiss her again, to touch her again. She wanted her alone, not just a few stolen minutes at the café or text messages after work before falling asleep from exhaustion. She wanted more, she wanted it to be real.

 

”How do people actually do it?”, Brooke said one day to Nina over their computers.

”Do what?”, Nina shot her a confused glance.

”Dating, relationships and shit. I can’t figure out how people manage to get the time.”

”Well, you’ve dated before, right?”, Nina leaned back against her chair and Brooke rolled her eyes.

”If by dating you mean fucking strangers after a night out, then yes.”

Nina couldn’t help but chuckle.

”I’m serious though, I’ve never actually dated someone in my twenty nine years, is it because I am too busy or because I am a cold bitch, or what?”

”You’re not cold, not anymore at least.”, Nina winked and a smile started tugging at Brooke’s lips.

”It’s neither of those things, you’re just picky. To date and invest time in someone means giving up other things, like maybe you’ll have to skip breaks at work so you can finish early and still have time left on the day to be with the person. And it might mean giving up your alone time in the afternoon when you don’t really want to see anyone except your cats. And I just think you haven’t found someone that made all that feel like it was worth it, at least not until now.”

Brooke sighed at Nina’s words, she knew they were true. Brooke could easily blame her lack of romance in her life on her busy work or her attitude, but when it came down to it, it had always been her being terrified of giving up anything in her life and to compromise to make something with _someone_ work. She had never felt the need to meet and be with someone the way Vanessa made her feel. The feeling of being ready to give up a lot of things was new, but Brooke was ready to do so.

”How do you always know what to say?”, Brooke smiled and Nina shrugged with a confident, cordially grin. 

”I don’t. I just know _you_.”

”And I think that if you just made time for it, you and Vanessa could have something very special. Everyone can see the connection between you too.”, she added and Brooke shivered. 

”Yeah, I think so to.”, she sighed.

 

So Brooke decided to really put some effort into it. It felt like a mission when she came in to work that next day, lunch box made from the night before in her bag, a big thermos with coffee beside her, ready to lock herself in the office. Her eyes were glued to the computer the second she walked into the office. 

”You look determined.”, Nina grinned as she joined her a few minutes later. 

”Got no time to talk today, Nina.”, Brooke said, fingers working the keyboard fanatically and eyes focused on the screen, but she didn’t miss the way her friends face lit up.

”Got it. Go get her!”

 

The perfectionist in Brooke was more than satisfied when she finished days worth of work before the clock struck seven, perfectly executed. She wasted no time as she pulled her phone up, as determined as ever. 

 

_What time do you finish work? - Brooke_

 

_8:30, what did you have in mind baby? - Vanjie_

 

_I get off at 8, thought I’d maybe come by? - Brooke_

 

_I’ll be waiting mami. - Vanjie_

 

She put her phone back in her pocket, smiling as she did and caught Nina grinning towards her, as usual. 

”Don’t even start.”, she said before Nina could open her mouth.

”I didn’t say anything.”, Nina defended herself, still grinning as she turned her face towards her computer.

 

Brooke felt like a kid on Christmas eve. Her fingers tapping impatiently against her desk and her eyes glued to the clock, which seemed like it didn’t move at all. Nina had left the office with a smirk at seven and Brooke tried, she _really_ did, to focus on finishing her work but it was impossible. She was on her feet the second the clock turned eight thirty and basically flew out of the building.

 

The sun was about to set as Brooke stopped in front of the café, her hands were shaky as she pushed the door open. It was empty, the tables were clean, the lights were off and there was not a person in sight until a curly head popped out from the door to the kitchen. 

”Damn, mami, you really wasted no time coming here, huh?”, Vanessa laughed and Brooke looked at the clock behind her.

8:31

”I’m quick on my feet.”, Brooke shrugged, smiling, ”Where’s Silky?”

”At home. They all are. I’m closing today.”, Vanessa told her, something intriguing in her voice that Brooke couldn’t exactly tell what it was.

”Oh.”

Their eyes locked.

”You wanna help me clean up in the kitchen?”, Vanessa broke the silence and Brooke raised an eyebrow.

”Am I getting paid for this?”, she teased.

”Depends on how well you do it.”, Vanessa purred and Brooke could feel her heart start to pound harshly underneath her ribs.

 

Brooke followed Vanessa into the kitchen like she was in a trance. 

”I’m glad you wanted to come by, I don’t like finishing late and having to walk home by myself with ten creeps stalking my ass on the streets.”, she said as she started drying the dishes with a towel, Brooke could only watch.

”Also glad I get o see that pretty face of yours.”, she added with a smug smile.

”Well consider this being me paying you back for when you took care of my drunk ass walking the streets alone at night.”, Brooke told her and Vanessa laughed, tongue poking out from between her teeth.

 

And if it wasn’t the cutest thing Brooke had ever seen. 

 

Twenty minutes went by with Vanessa finishing the the dishes and eating left over Cheese Danish from the café, and Brooke happily kept her company, telling her stories about her life, listening to Vanessa go on about anything and everything in return. Telling Brooke little stories about how she got to know Silky, how she got the job, and Brooke listened carefully. Taking in every word and every detail. Fascinated by the way someone so small and angelic could talk so much and have _that_ voice. Brooke adored it though, enjoying the fact that it was quickly becoming her favorite sound. But she could listen to her talk twenty four hours a day, Brooke thought. And not that it wasn’t possible, because Vanessa talked a _lot_. 

 

”- And then I ended up here, met your fine ass my second day of work and knew this was a good job for me.”, Vanessa finished the story with a smirk, putting the last clean plate on a shelf.

Brooke was about to say something flirty back but noticed piece of food on Vanessa’s cheek and started chuckling instead. The brunette paused whatever story she moved on to telling now, a confused look appearing on her face.

”I’m sorry, but you’ve got some food right there. By your dimple.”, Brooke grinned and Vanessa touched her cheek, failing to wipe it away. 

”Let me.”, Brooke hopped down from where she was sitting and took a step towards the shorter woman. 

The look on her face was new to Brooke, she looked nervous in a way she hadn’t before, staring at Brooke, captivated. It made Brooke lose her ability to speak for a second.

”There.”, she breathed as she let her fingers brush against Vanessa’s cheek.

The small piece of food was gone but Brooke didn’t remove her hand. Their eyes were locked, staring in a way that felt like they could set each other on fire any second. She tentatively brushed her thumb over Vanessa’s lower lip and watched her close her eyes at the touch.

”Brooke-”, she started.

And Brooke wasted no time, crashing their lips together fiercely, recognizing the taste and the sensation immediately. 

And she wanted more.

Vanessa’s hands found themselves around her neck and Brooke carefully slipped her tongue into her mouth, slowly licking her lower lip, feeling Vanessa shake under her hands. 

Their lips worked together like they knew of nothing else and when Vanessa backed them up against the broken dishwasher, pushing her body against Brooke’s, the blonde thought she was going to burst into flames. The heat spreading in her body like a fire. It was already too much yet not enough, like they couldn’t find a balance. Brooke put her hands on the back of Vanessa’s thighs, lifting her up on the sink in one swift movement. She gasped into her mouth and Brooke was completely gone.

She pulled back for a second, watching Vanessa’s face, the way her eyes had darkened and how her lips were starting to swell. Brooke’s eyes dropped down to the big tattoo on her chest and she dived forward, ran her teeth over it, licking up her neck, over her ear, capturing her lips again and again. 

She carefully reached behind Vanessa to slowly undo the apron and Vanessa responded by yanking herself forward, pulling Brooke closer with her legs wrapped around her waist. 

”Please.”, she breathed as Brooke softly put her hands on her ass, placing kisses over her chest and neck, anywhere she could reach. 

Brooke was euphoric. She had wanted this, _dreamed_ of this for _weeks._ Imagining every single possible scenario where this could happen, the kitchen of Vanessa’s work not included in any of them, but it didn’t matter.

 

She needed it _now_.

 

She took her hands from her back to her thighs, letting her fingers ghost over them up and down a few times, feeling Vanessa shiver at the touch, pulling Brooke even closer, pressing up against her body. 

They were kissing fast, more passionately now, _possessive_ almost and the blonde felt Vanessa tremble when she slid her hands up her dress. Fingers desperately clinging onto Brooke. 

” _Brooke_.”

Brooke saw stars in her eyes.

”Do you want me to fuck you, _Vanessa_?”, she breathed, barely audible, but Vanessa heard, her eyes blown with lust as she desperately rolled her hips up one more time.

”Brooke, _please_.”

And with that, Brooke was completely gone and slowly, teasingly, let her fingers make their way under the layers of her clothing. Her fingers slowly sliding between Vanessa’s legs, moving them in circles, making Vanessa pant breathlessly into her ear, working her hips up against Brooke, immediately desperate for more friction. 

”Fuck.”, she breathed weakly, and Brooke couldn’t help but smiling as she slid her tongue into Vanessa’s mouth again, loving the feeling of the brunette clinging onto her, moaning and gasping because of _her_.

Brooke felt like she was high. High on the sounds leaving Vanessa’s mouth against her own, the movement of her hips onto Brooke’s fingers, the sensations of her nails scraping against her neck. She was quickly becoming addicted to the sound of Vanessa panting, begging for more into her ear, holding onto Brooke’s body like her life depended on it. Brooke moved her fingers deeper, faster now, stroking Vanessa with her hand under the yellow dress, sinking her teeth into the sensitive skin on her neck.

”Come on, baby.”, Brooke heard herself say.

”Come _on_.”

With that, she felt her short body tense, heard the way her raspy voice got stuck in her throat just before Brooke’s name left her lips as the blonde brought her closer and closer to the edge. She watched her brown sparkly eyes roll back as her legs started shaking even more around Brooke, her nails digging just a little deeper into her neck, and Brooke wasn’t even sure what planet they were on when Vanessa came with her name on her lips. 

”Holy fucking shit.”, she breathed and Brooke kissed the corner of her mouth. 

”I’ve never heard you lost for words for so long before.”, Brooke grinned, gently sucking on the sensitive skin below her ear. 

”Jesus.”, she said, still breathless, and Brooke chuckled. 

They stayed like that for a few minutes, nothing but breaths and slow kisses between them.

 

”Well, now I have to clean this bitch again.”, Vanessa eventually said as she jumped off of the sink and slammed her hand against it. 

Brooke threw her head back laughing. 

”Was it worth it though?”

”Baby, I would clean this shit ten times over every single day if it meant you would do that every time.”

Vanessa quickly cleaned the sink again, wiping away any tracks, any memories of what just happened.

Brooke didn’t want this to end.

Never.

Vanessa stood on her toes to kiss her again, pushing Brooke backwards so that she was leaning against the fridge. Her kisses got more eager again as she rolled her hips onto Brooke’s, placing her small hand on the waistline of Brooke’s pants.

Brooke knew where this was going but didn’t want the moment to be over so soon so she grabbed Vanessa’s wrist, pulling it up towards her face before she got the chance to unzip her pants.

Vanessa looked at her in confusion.

”Come home with me?”, Brooke asked quickly, her eyes glued to Vanessa’s, desperate to drag the moment out for as long as possible.

Vanessa said nothing but smiled brightly, her eyes shining under her thick lashes as she nodded. 

 

Brooke was driving them back to her place, feeling her mind go foggy from the feeling of Vanessa’s hand traveling higher and higher up her thigh as she casually continued talking about her day. Her fingers ghosting over Brooke’s sensitive skin.

She couldn’t focus at all. 

Her grip around the steering wheel was like she was holding on for dear life. Vanessa grinned, knowing exactly what she was doing.

 

”We’re here.”, Brooke turned the car off. 

“I know. I drove your drunk ass here a few days ago, remember?”, Vanessa grinned, lips light like a feather against Brooke’s before they stepped outside the car and into the building. 

Brooke barely got to close the door behind them before Vanessa surged forward, gluing their lips together so fast and hard Brooke thought she would fall. 

She dropped everything on the floor as she led the shorter woman backwards towards her bedroom, lips still working over each other hungrily. Brooke thought her legs would give in from under her. 

She started to lead Vanessa towards the bedroom, carefully picking her up so that her back was pressed against the wall. Their bodies as close as possible.

She could feel Vanessa’s pulse against her chest, fast and loud.

Vanessa linked her feet together around Brooke and grabbed hard at her shoulders, keeping herself up although Brooke’s hands were right there under her thighs, keeping her in place. 

As their kisses turned more desperate and Vanessa’s grip on her shoulders got to the point where it was almost painful, Brooke carried her to the bed, positioning herself on top of her smaller body. 

 

Hours went by. Neither of them even knowing the time. Neither of them bothering to look at the clock. Not caring. As far as they were concerned, they were the only people in the world right at that moment and time was something made up. It was everything Brooke had fantasized about. Their bodies wrapped around each other. Eager hands everywhere they could reach. Vanessa’s head between her legs. Brooke’s fingers inside Vanessa. Kissing until neither of them could breathe. Moans disappearing into the night and fingers chasing the others pleasure. Whispers of ”Let me make you feel good” and breaths of ”More” echoing between the walls. Neither seemed to get enough until they eventually fell asleep from exhaustion. Naked and tangled together. 

 

 

Brooke was the first to wake up the next morning, Vanessa’s hair tickling against her face. Brooke pulled her closer, not wanting this, whatever it was, to end. She tried her hardest not to think about it too much, but her thoughts wandered to all the places she didn’t want them too. Would this be over now that they had slept together? Was that all Vanessa wanted in the first place? Was that all Brooke wanted? She didn’t want to analyze it any further and nuzzled closer into Vanessa’s curls instead, hand stroking her waist slowly. 

”Good morning.”, Vanessa said, her morning voice low, raspy and sultry in a way that made Brooke’s whole body heat up.

”Hi.”, she whispered against her neck, placing slow, lazy kisses there. 

”You slept well?”, she asked then, feeling Vanessa turn around in her arms, coming face to face to Brooke.

”You know I did.”, she smiled, Brooke melted.

”I think I heard your neighbors fucking in the middle of the night though.”, Vanessa added, pointing at the ceiling.

Brooke bursted into laughter against the others lips.

”I mean it was probably just payback from last night. You weren’t exactly quiet yourself either.”, she said with a grin and immediately saw Vanessa’s eyes turn darker with lust, fluttering her lashes seductively.

She didn’t have to say anything before Vanessa flipped her onto her back, straddling her waist.

 

 

”How do you turn this shit on?”, Vanessa said an hour later when they finally managed to get out of bed, pointing at the coffee maker.

Brooke looked at her and raised an eyebrow, amused.

”What? I ain’t never made fancy coffee like this before.”, Vanessa said and Brooke broke into laughter.

”You work at a café and don’t know how to make coffee?”

Vanessa couldn’t help but to smile, her teeth showing between her soft, still a bit swollen, lips.

”I know how to press the buttons on the machines at the café, not using complicated shit like this!”, she defended herself and Brooke got up to kiss the smile off her face.

She thought back to how many times she had wanted to do that before.

”You’re adorable.”, she sighed.

”Oh yeah?”, she shot back, a devilish smile on her face and Brooke felt that fiery tingling feeling in her body but only shook her head with a smile.

”Let’s eat something.”

”I know something you could eat.”, Vanessa’s continued, smile growing wider and Brooke laughed loudly this time.

”You’re impossible.”, she grabbed her face and placed the softest kiss on her lips.

 

Vanessa smiled brightly as she watched Brooke manage the coffee maker, placing slices of bread in the toaster and feeding the cats. Vanessa picked Apollo up, the other cat, when he finished eating and placed him in her lap. And that was a sight Brooke could get used to, she thought. The feeling of everything falling into place struck her there and then. The feeling of not needing her usual routines and structure. It scared the shit out of her. She was worried that this thing between them might be just a one time thing, that their little bubble could pop anytime now. And that maybe it was just a game to Vanessa after all. Maybe she would delete Brooke’s number and never look her way now that they had slept together. She just couldn’t stop worrying and felt the anxiety build up even more as she tried to listen to whatever story Vanessa was telling her now.

”You alright, Brooke?”, Vanessa asked after a while, noticing the change in her.

”Yeah.”, she shifted uncomfortably on her chair, ”Yeah.”

She could tell Vanessa didn’t believe her, and as if she had just read Brooke’s mind, how she doubted everything, she asked:

”So I expect you to finally ask my ass out on a real date now.”

Brooke didn’t even try to hide the smile growing on her face and Vanessa winked.

“Friday? Around seven?”, Brooke smiled, watching Vanessa’s face light up.

“It’s a date.”

”It’s a date.”, Brooke confirmed. 

 

And Brooke thought to herself that morning, that maybe she could allow herself to feel, for once. Maybe she could allow herself to fall for someone. Maybe all those nightmare scenarios of what catching feelings for someone would be like weren’t true after all. Maybe it was worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK LOVES

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me if you love it or hate it.


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